Fruit-picker



(No Model.)

G. W. ARMSTRONG.

FRUIT PIGKBR.

No. 515,862. Patented Maf. @1894 ln van??? ,Azfy

ml uuml. umuekAPmm com-'Am'.

GEORGE "W, ARMSTRONG, OF AVNGER, TEXAS.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,852, dated March. 6, 1894.

Application iiledllovemher 2, 1893. Serial No. 4891795 (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it 11i/Cty concern.'

Be .it known that I, GEORGE-1W. AnnisTRoNG, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Avmger, in the county of Cass and State of Texasshave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Pickers; andi do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and enact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled 'in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

ltiy invention relates to improvements in fruit-pickers, and has forits object to provide a picker especially adapted for picking small fruit requiring care in handling.

Afurther object is to construct a picker that shall be cheap, e'icient and durable; and which may be expeditiously handled and conveniently operated.

The invention will tiret be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective View of a picker embodying myinvention, in its open position. Fig. 2 is ay horizontal section through the head of the picker, in its open position. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal section through the center of the picker.

Referring to the drawings, A is a stationary jaw made in the form of a truncated hollowr sphereandhavingaknife edge l,this j awbeing secured by soldering or otherwise, to a dared top, 2, of a shank B which is fixed on the upper end of a tubular statt or handle, C, screwthreaded at its lower end, 3, for the attachment of an extension piece, D, it necessary, in order to lengthen the statt. iVithin the tubular handle is a rotatableoperating-shaf t E, also screw-threaded at its lower end for the attachment of an extension shaft, F, the operating-shaft and its extension being preferably tubular in order to lighten the weight of the picker. A'handle Gi is screwed onto the threaded endof the operating shaft, or onto the lower threaded'end, 4, of the extensionshaft, F, in case the latter is used.

It is to be observed that the screw-threads on the operating-shaft and extension-shaft are left-handed, in order that the said shafts may be turned by the handle Gr without becoming unscrewed from each other, or without the handles becoming loose.

The top end of the operating-shaft projects through the shankBandisprovided withadish shaped disk H to which is attached a movable jaw l, also in the form of a truncated hollow sphere, or approximately a hollow hemisphere. This movable jaw is adapted to rotate within the fixed jaw, its diameter being smaller than the diameter of the fixed jaw. It will be noticed that the movable jaw l is provided with a knife edge 5 which is arranged to contact with the knife-edge l of the stationary jaw.

it desired a pivot 6 may be formed in the top of the stationary jaw and projecting downward into the movable jaw in order to support the latter at its upper end.

The operation of my apparatus is as tollows: The picker is elevated and moved so as to allow the fruit to enter the hollow portion of the stationary jaw; the operating shaft or handle is then turned by the operator standing on the ground until the movable jaw is turned entirely around with its knifeedge in contact with the knife-edge of the stationary jaw, whereupon the stem. of the fruit is severed and the picker may be lowered open the picker head and the fruit emptied, and the operation in like manner repeated. l/Vhen it is desired to piel;` fruit beyond the reach of a single staff, the extension-stad may be screwed on to the lower end of the stad and the extension-shaft is attached to the lower end of the operating-shaft,thuslengthening the picker and enabling the operator to reach the fruit on the topmost branches of the trees.

It will be understood from the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings that my improved device is very simple, cheap and effective in operation, andy that by reason Of the peculiar arrangement of the stati or handle and the operating shaft, they jaws A, and l, may be conveniently directed to the fruit to be gathered and maybe positively actuated without liability of interference no matter how dense the foliage ot the tree.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The fruit picker substantially as described, comprising a tubular handle, or statt, a jaw lixedly connected to one end of said hanto the ground-the handle turned so as to IOO dle or staff, a jaw movable with respect to said fixed jaw, and a rotatable operating shaft extending through the handle or staff and xedly connected to the movable jaw, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fruit picker, the combination with a jaw A, of henlispherical form, and a tubular handle or sta flxedly connected to said jaw; of ahemisphericaljawl, of less size than jaw A, and adapted to move with respect to the same, and a rotatable operating shaft extending through the tubularshaft and lixedly connected .to the jaw I, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein described fruit picker consisting of the following instrumentalities in combination, viz; the hemispherical jaw A, having a cutting' edge, a tubular handle or stad Iixedly connected to said jaw at one end having a cutting edge, a rotatable operating shaft extending through the handle and fixedly connected at one end to the jaw I, and having screw threads at its opposite end, an extension handle D, having threads to engage those of the handle proper and an extension operating shaft having threads to engage those of the shaft proper and also having a handle or hand grasp G, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. ARMSTRONG. W'itnesses:

J. R. MCOAIN, S. L. LEWIS. 

